This blog presents news items and resources relating to trial advocacy and the legal system, with a focus on Washington State. It was developed to support the Trial Advocacy Program at the University of Washington School of Law, but now has a broader coverage and a wider audience. In addition to information about trials and trial practice, you'll find notes about appellate practice, the courts, access to justice, and related topics.

Friday, June 3, 2005

[BOOK] Former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper has written a book about his career and police practices in the U.S.: Breaking Rank: A Top Cop's Exposé of the Dark Side of American Policing. The publisher's description says:

Opening with a powerful letter to former Tacoma police chief David Brame, who shot his estranged wife before turning the gun on himself, Stamper introduces us to the violent, secret world of domestic abuse that cops must not only navigate, but which some also perpetrate. Stamper goes on to expose a troubling culture of racism, sexism, and homophobia that is still pervasive within the twenty-first-century force, exploring how such prejudices can be addressed. He reveals the dangers and temptations that cops on the street face, describing in gripping detail their split second life-and-death decisions. Breaking Rank reveals Norm Stamper as a brave man, a pioneering public servant whose extraordinary life has been dedicated to the service of his community.

[EVENT] Mr. Stamper will speak at Seattle's Town Hall next week (Thur. June 9, admission $5). He will be on TVW's Author's Hour Sunday, June 12, at 9:00.